Ukraine's Zelenskyy pushes Nato to supply weapons and cash

Kyiv leader says Russia receives billions every day and spends the income on war

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky appears on a giant screen as he delivers a statement at the start of the first plenary session of the NATO summit at the Ifema congress centre in Madrid, on JuneShow more

Weapons and open wallets formed the core request from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine on Wednesday, as he told Nato leaders his country's military needs modern equipment and more financial aid in its fight against Russia's invasion.

"We need to break the Russian artillery advantage," Mr Zelenskyy told the 30-member alliance in a video address.

"We need much more modern systems, modern artillery."

He said financial support was "no less important than aid with weapons".

"Russia still receives billions every day and spends them on war. We have a multibillion-dollar deficit, we don't have oil and gas to cover it," Mr Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine needs about $5 billion a month for its defence.

He also called for sanctions on Russia "that will stop its ability to pay for the war".

Washington and Brussels have slapped Moscow with unprecedented sanctions over its invasion of pro-western Ukraine, which President Vladimir Putin launched on February 24.

The US and Canada, which are far less reliant on Russia as an energy supplier than Europe, have banned all Russian oil imports.

The EU, however, has introduced a gradual oil embargo as part of its sanctions on Moscow.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a warning that the West must support Kyiv in its military strategy, to help change the dynamic of the conflict and put Mr Zelenskyy "in the best possible position to talk if and when talks eventually come".

"We really do want to give the Ukrainians strategic endurance," he said.

"The logic is yes of course people all want the war to end, they want the war to end desperately, but there's no deal available.

"Putin isn't making an offer of a deal, Zelenskyy can't make an offer of a deal".